Monthly Archives: May 2013

ABERDEEN, SD – Primrose Retirement Communities has named Michael Bockorny Director of Operations. In this role, Bockorny will oversee the overall Operations Department, which manages the 28 Primrose communities across the country, with two under construction. Bockorny will begin in this role on June 3rd.

“Mike brings some very valuable experience, and we are excited that he is joining our team.” said Primrose Retirement Communities President BJ Schaefbauer. “He has a proven record of success, and we are confident that he will help us take our Operations Department to the next level.”

Previously, Bockorny served as the Vice President of Investment Management and Annual Fund at the Northern State University Foundation in Aberdeen, where he was responsible for the management of the investment portfolio and the annual fund.

Primrose Retirement Communities, LLC, headquartered in Aberdeen, South Dakota, provides high-quality independent and assisted living communities across the country and specializes in personalized services and resident-focused care. From the opening of the first Primrose community in 1991 in Aberdeen, Primrose has grown to now include 28 locations in 15 states, with two under construction.

About Primrose Retirement CommunitiesWith 28 locations in 15 states with 2 presently under construction, Primrose Retirement Communities, LLC is a provider of independent and assisted living communities. Founded in 1989, Primrose Retirement Communities mission is to create a healthy, happy living environment for seniors. For more information about Primrose Retirement Communities, visit www.primroseretirement.com.

To find out more about senior apartment homes at Primrose, please contact your nearest Primrose Retirement Community today to see more of our fun and social living. We’ll happily answer all your questions and show you around our beautiful communities. Come see why we say, THIS IS LIVING!

Have you ever wondered what to do with those used greeting cards that are just taking up room?

The residents of Primrose in Mansfield, Ohio, are working on a new service project that solves part of the problem by preparing the cards for recycling centers that re-manufacture and re-sell the recycled cards.

What happens, Primrose volunteers meet on Fridays and cut the fronts off the cards and make sure there is no writing on the back sides (they cannot use Disney or Hallmark cards, either).

The cards are then shipped to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children which recycles and re-manufactures them into new cards to be sold in their store. Recycled cards are sold in packs of 10 for 10$ to support their programs and services.

The program is beneficial to everyone — customers receive fun, “green” holiday cards they can feel good sending to their friends and loved ones, and the children at St Jude’s Ranch receive payment for their work and learn about basic job skills and the importance of recycling.

Also, our residents of Primrose can feel good about helping others feel good while also helping our earth by recycling.

by Angela Gardner,Life Enrichment Coordinator

To find out more about all the rewarding activities at Primrose, please contact your nearest Primrose Retirement Community today to see more of our fun and social living. We’ll happily answer all your questions and show you around our beautiful communities. Come see why we say, THIS IS LIVING!

Bill Seebon was pretty sure he would have to postpone his flower gardening this spring, when a robin redbreast apparently thought one of the flower pots on the porch at his villa would be a great place to raise her chicks.

The mother robin didn’t seem to mind when he decided to go ahead and plant a few flowers around them, and they blended well in their colorful habitat. The hatchlings took flight on May 16th.

by Tiffani Martin,Life Enrichment Coordinator

To find out more about blending in comfortably at Primrose, please contact your nearest Primrose Retirement Community today to see more of our fun and social living. We’ll happily answer all your questions and show you around our beautiful communities. Come see why we say, THIS IS LIVING!

A brand new group has been formed at the Primrose in Lancaster! The idea of the group began when one resident mentioned at a Primrose Social about her Red Hat Society she was in at another facility. She told stories of activities, events, and volunteer work that she was able to do while in the group. This sparked the brainstorming of Primrose’s very own hat society.

The group met for the first time a month ago to discuss what the group would be named and what the residents wanted to do with their very own club. It did not take long for the ladies to decide that they wanted the group color to be pink and that they would call themselves “The Pink Hat Society of Primrose Lancaster”. We now all have matching pink hats and scarves to wear to our meetings and out in the community.

So far, gardening is the first thing on the agenda for the group. At our last gathering, we discussed where to put our newly donated raised garden and what we will be planting. We also talked about placement of the numerous herbs that will be planted for our kitchen manager to use for our meals this spring and summer. The residents are thrilled to be a part of the planning process and are anxious to get outside and begin!

Some other ideas we have include wine and cheese parties, jewelry making, breakfast outings, craft classes, and even bowling! The group wants to be active in the community and involve as many people as possible. “We don’t discriminate,” one of the members announced. “We welcome anyone who wants to have fun and get to know people while we do it!”

Although the group has just been formed, all of the members are extremely excited about being a part of it. We hope that by this time next year, “The Pink Hat Society of Primrose Lancaster” is established and striving!

by Traci GilesLife Enrichment Coordinator

To find out more about the different hat societies at Primrose, please contact your nearest Primrose Retirement Community today to see more of our fun and social living. We’ll happily answer all your questions and show you around our beautiful communities. Come see why we say, THIS IS LIVING!

Primrose resident Camilla Miller — “Cam” as she’s fond of being called — spent 3 years in the service.

During 1945, she was working at the State Board of Health in Pierre South Dakota. When WWII ended, the government asked for help from civilians for the soldiers coming home from war. So on March 1st, 1946, Cam signed up for the Army. Her dad was not very pleased with her decision but would later become very proud of her.

She was assigned to three different states — Utah, Georgia, and California — to help in the opening of hospitals. In a typical day they would make up at least 100 beds at each of these hospitals, and then they would meet the soldiers at the train stations with beds and wheel chairs.

Cam said that 95% of the soldiers they took care of had arms or legs missing. In Utah she took care of many amputees. She really enjoyed helping soldiers who couldn’t help themselves.

She met her husband, Dan, while in the service. At that time he was in the Navy, and they were married at Fort Sam in Houston, Texas.

Cam remembered her parents driving down for their wedding. It was a long trip for them back in those days!

Her husband Dan was discharged from the Navy and could not find a job so he joined the Army. When her 3 years were up, Cam left the Army and lived with her parents until Dan finished his time in the Army. After Dan’s discharge they lived in a house right off post. She continued to work on the children’s ward by rocking many of the children to sleep each night.

Cam had two highlights from her time in the service: Being kissed on the cheek by General Eisenhower and visiting with General MacArthur.

She still stays in touch with two ladies who were stationed with her, one from Belle Fourche, South Dakota, and another from Indiana.

In the photo, above, Cam is seated with pencil drawings done by a friend. In the drawing at left, Dan is in his navy outfit, and she is dressed in her army outfit in the drawing at right. Cam is very proud to have served her country.

Primrose is very grateful for Cam’s service to our country. God Bless her!!

by Lou Clarey,Life Enrichment Coordinator

To find out more about our country’s servants living at Primrose, please contact your nearest Primrose Retirement Community today. We’ll happily answer all your questions and show you around our beautiful communities. Come see why we say, THIS IS LIVING!

Pat said what brought her here was a chance happening, where her sister-in-law’s grandchildren were performing at the Marion Primrose with a dance studio.

“My sister-in-law got to looking around, took a tour, and thought this would be a good place for me,” Pat said. “I’m glad she did. You know their motto, ‘this is living’ — well it is. This is a wonderful place to be.”

A former resident of a nursing home for two years, Pat said she moved here in late November 2012 and hasn’t looked back.

“I have my freedom here,” she said. “I can go outside whenever I want to and can have my cat (Chris, a Christmas gift) here, too.”

To further enhance how she believes the Primrose motto, Pat said, “They [the staff] do my laundry, cook my meals and clean my apartment. It can’t get any better. I really enjoy the handbells and all the programs here.”

Pat is also appreciative of all the staff, their friendliness and assistance to everyone. “They are all so friendly and speak to you by name. I like that. If you need anything, all you have to do is ask.”

Pat worked 34 years at Smith Clinic in the medical records department.

One of her proudest moments was when she shot a black bear while hunting in Canada with her late husband, Jack. She said he was in a bay about five miles from where she was set up when she shot the bear.

“I did it all by myself,” she said and laughed. “He came back all proud that he had gotten a bear. When I told him I did too, he couldn’t believe it. We had them processed and had bear meat for quite some time.”

Her daughter, Kelly (husband, John) and grandson Ethan, live in Minnesota.

by Brenda Donegan,Life Enrichment Coordinator

To find out more about the senior living experience at Primrose, please contact your nearest Primrose Retirement Community today to see more of our fun and social living. We’ll happily answer all your questions and show you around our beautiful communities. Come see why we say, THIS IS LIVING!

Many of our residents, who were once dancers, tell me grand stories of how in the “good ole days” people would get dressed to the nines and go out every weekend to dance and socialize with friends. It was just something that everyone did.

Everyone knew how to fox trot, waltz, and jive.

So in April we invited a local dance company to come and do a practice recital for our residents.

I have never seen our community room so full of people! Ten classes of tiny little dancers, aged 3 to 10, danced their hearts out to 9 different songs. There were girls in pink tutus and glitter everywhere.

One resident commented, “I remember when I was a little girl and wore a tutu like that,” while another said, “this was so much fun to see all of these kids dancing!” and their overall enthusiasm for the performers really rocked the house.

by Rachel Carpenter,Life Enrichment Coordinator

To find out more about all the excitement at Primrose, please contact your nearest Primrose Retirement Community today to see more of our fun and social living. We’ll happily answer all your questions and show you around our beautiful communities. Come see why we say, THIS IS LIVING!

On the evening of April 15th, Wausau had our first Mystery Dinner, hosted by Cindy Davidson (Director of Dining Services).

Since it was Tax Day we thought we’d celebrate with an I.R.S. Party!

On the menu we served rib-eye steaks, potatoes and fresh vegetables!

The dining room was silent once the food came out, the tenants were so excited to see what they were indulging in that evening.

Once dinner was completed, the hunt began: Cindy gave instructions on what the tenants needed to search for on the tables in order to win a prize or a “refund check”!

We normally have 40 tenants who eat dinner with us but on April 15th we had over 60, including some family members who couldn’t wait to see what the evening had in store for them!

The Mystery Dinner was a hot topic for weeks. The next Mystery Dinner is scheduled for May 5th, and we are already excited with the planning!

by Zoey Solin,Executive Director

To find out more about senior living at Primrose, please contact your nearest Primrose Retirement Community today to see more of our fun and social living. We’ll happily answer all your questions and show you around our beautiful communities. Come see why we say, THIS IS LIVING!

Meet Stephanie Crawford, one of our newest volunteers at Primrose. After working twenty-eight years as a Library Aide for the Pueblo City-County Library District and working at three different branches, Stephanie retired with her husband to beautiful Colorado City just south of Pueblo in the foothills and gateway to Rye and the Wet Mountain Range.

When our Primrose community signed up for the Homebound Buddy Program that matches Library Volunteers with our Residents, we were very fortunate to learn about Stephanie and the possibility of her managing our Primrose Library.

Though just retired for a month, Stephanie said “yes” to becoming a Primrose Volunteer and with much enthusiasm she brought new life, order, signage and many books to our Library. As she always says, it already was a great library. Well, you just have to see it now — it truly is fabulous! She brings monthly newsletters from the library, Book Page publications, and even created a book for requests by title, subject or author.

This month Stephanie will do a special program called “Agatha Christie: A life as interesting as any of her books,” with prizes for the trivia contest. The event will be held — where else but the library — and everyone is invited.

Next month she will do an interactive program on life in the fifties, complete with vinyl records and a poodle skirt.

In the past our residents voted The Beauty Shop, Pub and Ice Cream Parlor as some of their favorite places here, but our Library is really becoming quite a gathering place and a wonderful connection to the award winning Pueblo City-County Library District. Thank you, Stephanie, for being that link and enriching our lives.

by Barbara Della Rossa,Life Enrichment Coordinator

To find out more about our phenomenal volunteers at Primrose, please contact your nearest Primrose Retirement Community today to see more of our fun and social living. We’ll happily answer all your questions and show you around our beautiful communities. Come see why we say, THIS IS LIVING!

The Youngs have been married 67 years. Both graduated from different high schools the same year. Lewis started in the fall to college while Neva attended a different school.

His classes were interrupted when he was drafted into WWII. He served in the Pacific area for 23 months, then returned to the states in October and the couple was married in December.

They had three children and two are deceased. Lewis taught Industrial Arts for 30 years. Neva taught 17 years and was a homemaker the rest of the time.

After they retired they worked different jobs — Lewis sold cars and Neva did crop reporting. They moved to Florida to live year-round 14 years ago.

Says the couple: “We are both glad to be back in Ohio and not too far from where we lived growing up. We are happy living at Primrose and being involved in the activities. We love having everything taken care of for us. We are getting acquainted with a lot of people living here.”

As reported by Tammy Grayson,Life Enrichment Coordinator

To find out more about the interesting couples residing in senior apartment homes at Primrose, please contact your nearest Primrose Retirement Community today to see more of our fun and social living. We’ll happily answer all your questions and show you around our beautiful communities. Come see why we say, THIS IS LIVING!